Of course, now as a woman you can do so much, without being necessarily a rinpoche.

To become effortless takes a lot of effort. It's good to compare it to learning an instrument or learning a sport.

I'd say look at the teacher's students. Do you want to be like them? If you see a good and harmonious sangha, and if they're practicing well and are good people with good hearts, then you have a cause for trust.

A realized being would not be making any fresh karma because karma is very much connected to the ego but would still be receiving the results of past karma.

Just entering into the dharma and taking refuge and bodhisattva vows is a tremendous amount of merit, but we need more and more and more.

We have produced many of our problems through our confused mental states.

Most of the spiritual traditions were very theistic and the idea of an external god pulling the strings didn't resonate with me. I then discovered Buddhism and found the perfect path. I felt so grateful to the Buddha for having given the path, and not just explaining the end result, but showing so clearly how to get there.